Aerial torpedo.



F. H. PATTON.

AERIAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. m1.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

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Patented Oct. 2,1917.

r. H. PATTON. -AERIAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 22'. I911.

use. r V A further 0b ect is to FRANK H. PAT'ION, OFFLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA.

AERIAL TOBPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Application flied June 22, 1917. Serial No. 176,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. PATTON, a citizen of the United States,residin at the city of Flagstaff, in the county of oconino and State ofArizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AerialTorpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates primarily to a torpedo for the use of aeroplanesand the like and the object thereof is'to provide a device for thispurpose which will be cheap and simple in construction, accurate andositive in operation and .which can be easily and quickly launched froman airship without disturbing the stability thereof.

'Another object is to provide a this character which device of can beeasily and quickly put together for 1provide a to edo for use withaeroplanes w ich can be a apted for use either on land or water withoutmaterially altering the same.

A still further object is to provide means for preventing the prematureexplosion of the device while being transported. and

self to such form be fired at means whereby the torpedo may watervarying distances above the ground or as desired. I

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter and while Ihaveshown and will describe my it will. be on erstood that I do not limitmyadaptations may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure. 1, is a central longitudinal section of my torpedo ready forfiring arranged to fire at a d1stance above the ground.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, but arranged to fire close to theground or water.

Fig. 3, is 'a section on the Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, is a. section on the line 4-4 of Fi 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are detailsof the ammunion an enlarged scale.

an enlarged detail, partly in seccan be partially knocked down fortransportation and whichv referred form of my invention as variouschanges and line 3-3 of.

'with said collar and forms a 10, provided with a lower inwardlytapering end 11 in the center of which is a port or openin 12, The upperend of casing 10 is closed y a cap 13 screw threaded thereon.

casing 10, projecting downwardly therefrom, and equall spaced apart aresockets 14, four in num er, although any number may be used, in whichsockets are detachably mounted the upper ends of extension rods 15,which rods extend downwardly and are bent inwardly near their lower endsand are screw threaded at their lower ends. A spider 16 is mounteduponthe lower ends of rods 15 and is held positioned by looknuts 17 and18. A similar spider 19 is also mounted on rods 15 intermediate, theends thereof and is held positioned by bolts 20 or other means. Mountedcentrally within casing 10 to extend longitudinally thereof Upon theouter surface of the tapered end. of

and concentric therewith an inner. casing 21 forming a powder chamber22.

The upper end of. easing is closed. by a cap 23, in screw-threadedengagement therewardly through the openings in casings 10.

and-21 and has a nut 27 screwed thereon which bushing. and nut serve tosecurely fasten the lower ends of said casings together and to make atight joint therebetween. Mounted within inner casing 21, and extendingfrom side to side thereof is a bar 28, held positioned by bolts 29extending through the wall of casing 21, and'extending downwardly fromthe center of this bar is a tube 30 open at its lower end and having aslot 31 cut in the side wall thereof for the admission of powder orother chargp. The percussion cap 32 is mounted upon t e lower open endof tube 30 in the usual manner.

'Tube 30 is provided intermediate its ends collar 33 and'a casin 34.

with an extern al A surrounds the lower end of tube 30 an has its upperend in screw-threaded engagement firing cha n ber 35. i

A firing pin 36 having a tapered head .37 is mounted within chamber 35adjacent' to the lower end of tube 30 and extends down- {9 end of said.pin.

ring 39'is coiled around the lower end of i 36 between the lower end ofbushing and aretaining .pin'40 mounted in the lower provided centrallythereof with bearings 41 [and 42 respectively in which bearings are'jslidably mounted a trigger 43. Trigger 43 fisprovided at its upper endwith a tapered 1% head 44 and has its lower end screw threadfor thereception of the striking disk 45.

A coil spring46is coiled around the lower end of trigger 44 between disk45 and the under side of bearing 41 and serves to hold an trigger 44 atits lowermost position; In the outer wall of casing 21 are provided aplurality of openings or orts 47 and like ports 48 are rovided in ,t ewall of casing 10, and ap lurality of ball tubes 49 have their :5 endssecured in these 0 nings, thus connecting the powder cham r toatmosphere. At the innermost end of each tube 49 is mounted in anysuitable manner a. spider 50 and within tube 49 and on the inner side.of 3 said spider are mounted wads 51 and 52, and at the outer end-ofeach of said tubes is mounted a similar wad 53,'this end of the tubesbeing closed by a wad of hard wax or like waterproof material, 54.Within the tubes and held plositioned therein by the wads are a plum 'tyof ballsor other missiles 55.

Detachablysecured to eap13 to extend upwardly and rgdially of casm 4c10, are aplnnhty of steering wings 56,.9 I have drown four ll h anysuitable number may be and. on not desiredforusenanfdycapflwillbescrewedupon the lower screw-threaded end of bushing 25 which prevents r 44engaging the lower end ofthe firing pm.

In the operation of my torpedo when it is 'dsired to be usedtheparts'willbe as shown in 1, it, being-understood that the powder chamberis ed with powder or other suitable explosive and the safety capremoved. If it is desired to use the device on the water striking disk45 will be removed and a simihmdisk of larger diam- 55- char used inlieu thereof.

The torpedo will then be plane is over the dashed disired to explode theevice) rolled or dropped ofi the same and the steenngwings u will causethe torpedo to travel downwardly in I, straight line whereby the diswill strib the object aimed atand force (when the aeroot on which 1t 15the ni er '44 u cause the same to ed: the rpinrflp'flardly and explodeSpiders 16 and 19-are end thereof having the explosive withinthe powderchamber, and the ex losive force following the line of least resistance,will the balls or other missiles out througli tubes 49 with greatvelocity and will then shatter the entire structure.

Should it be desiredto explode the device close to the ground theextension rods 15- and trig er 44 will be omitted and the; striking iskmounted upon the lower end of the firin pin as best shown invFig.2.

Having ascribed my invention whatHI' claim is: i

1; An aerial torpedo comprising an, oute casing closed at the endsthereof except centrally of the lower end thereof an inner casing withinsaid outer casing having a close? upper end and a port in its lower endadap ed to register with the port inthe lower end of the outer casing; apowder chamber within said inner casing; means to hold the ports in thelower end of said cas-' ings in register; a plurality of missile tubesextending from said powder chamber to atmosphere; missiles in saidtubes; means longitudinal position during its downward descent; means toex lode said powder; and means to operate sai exploding means. 7

2. An aerial torpedo comprising an outer cylindrical casing having atapered lower end, said lowerend having a port in the center thereof; aclosure for the up er' end of said outer casing; an inner cylindricalcasinghaving a tapered. lower end mounted within said outer casingconcentric there with said last lower end having a port thereincentrally thereof adapted to register with the port in the tapered endof, the outer cas ing; an explosive chamber in said inner casing; aclosure for the upper end of said inner casing; a -bushing-having atapered head mounted in the lower end of said inner. casingand'extending downwardly through the ports in said outer and innercasings; means to detachably secure said bushing in a position of use; aport extending long1tudinall through said bushing; a plurality ofradially extending missile conta ners extendin from said explosive chamberto the atmosp ere; a firing tube mounted within "said explosive chamber;a percussion cap on the lower end of said tube; a casin mounted on saidfiring tube tosurround t e lower a firing chamber there-' in; a. firingpin s idably'mounted'in' paid bushin and extendingupwardly into firing camber andterminatin in a tapered head immediately below sai firing tubeand in alinement therewith, the other end of said firing pi n projectingdownwardly to cause said torpedo to maintain a vertical thro h saidbushinga short distance" and I i 1n and; a stop ding pintransv 1 gomlthereof lowe idifi; a spring coiled around said firing pin between thelower end of said bushing and said stop in; extension arms extendingdownwardly rom the lower end of said outer casing and havger'; aspring'coiled around said trigger be-- tween the underside of saidspider-bearing and said striking diskexplosive material in saidexplosive chamber; missiles in said missile containers; and means tonormally close the ends of said containers whereby said missiles arenormally retained within said containers; and steering planes secured tosaid casing closure.

3 An aerial torpedo comprising an outer casing having a tapered lowerend, said lower end having an opening in the center thereof; a closurefor the upper end of said casing; an inner casing having a tapered lowerend mounted within said outer casing concentric therewith and having anopening in said lower end adapted to register with the opening in theouter casing; an explosive chamber within said inner casing; a closurefor the upper end of said inner casing; a bushin having a tapered headmounted in the ower end of said inner casing and extending downwardlythrough the ports in said outer and inner casings; means to detachablysecure said bushing in its position of use; a port extendinglongitudinally through said bushing; a plurality of radially extendingmissi e containers extending from said explosive chamber to theatmosphere; :1 firing tube mounted withing said explosive chamber; apercussion cap on the lower end of said tube; a casing mounted on saidfiring tube to surround the lower end thereof having a firing chambertherein; a firing pin slidably mounted in said bushing and extendingupwardly into *lower ends, said inner casin said firing chamber andterminating in a tapered head immediately below the lower end of thefiring tube and in alinement therewith, the other end of said firin pinpro e'ct1ng downwardly through said ushing a short distance and havingits end screwthreaded; a stop fiixpnextendmg transversely through said gpin near the lower end thereof; a spring coiled around said firing pinbetween the lower end of the bushing and said step pin; and a strikingdisk detachably secured upon the 'lower end of said firing pin; andsteering planes secured to the upper end closure of said outer casing.

4. An aerial torpedo comprising an inner and an outer casing havinglower tapered ends, said casings being mounted concentrically and beingsecured together at their formin an explosive chamber; a lurahty ofmissile containers extending rom said explosive chamber, through saidouter casing to atmosphere; a closure for the u per ends of each of saidcasings; steering p anes secured to said outer casing; means projectingfrom the lower end of said casings whereby upon striking an obstructionsaid explosive is caused to explode.

5. An aerial torpedo comprising an inner and an outer cas' having lowertapered ends, said casings eing mounted concen- 'trically and beingsecured together at their lower ends, said inner casing formin anexplosive chamber; a plurallt of missile containers extending from saldexplosive chamber to atmosphere; a removable closure for each end ofsaid missile containers; a closure for the upper ends of each of saidcasings; steerin planes secured to the upper end of sai outer casingadapted to maintain said casings in a vertical position during itsdescent; and means projecting from the lower ends of said casingsadapted to explode the explosive charge and expel said missiles at apredetermined distance above an obstruction upon striking the same.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 6th day of June 1917.

FRANK H. PATTON.

